February 13, 2018

A man who set off small bombs on a New York City street and at a charity race in New Jersey has been sentenced to multiple terms of life in prison.

Ahmad Khan Rahimi injured 30 people when one of his pressure cooker bombs exploded in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood in 2016. That blast happened just hours after a small pipe bomb exploded along a Marine Corps road race in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

February 09, 2018

Amuda (Syria) (AFP) - US-backed Syrian forces confirmed Friday that they caught a British fighter from a savage Islamic State gang nicknamed "The Beatles" last month, as relatives of hostages it killed called for captured Western jihadists to face justice.

Image credit
Alexanda Kotey

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it had caught Alexanda Amon Kotey in eastern Syria in January as he tried to flee to neighbouring Turkey.

Meanwhile a US defence official announced on Thursday that fellow Briton El Shafee el-Sheikh, another "Beatles" member, had also been captured by Syrian rebel forces.

..."He was captured by an anti-terrorism unit on January 24 in the countryside near Raqa.He was trying to escape to Turkey in coordination with his friends and contacts on the Turkish side," he said.

Their(sic) cell was believed to be behind the killing of American journalist James Foley and numerous Western aid workers.

Diane Foley, his mother, said she wanted the two men to face trial in the US and life imprisonment.

January 17, 2018

The clues are out there, if you know where to look. Scattered across far-flung corners of the internet, there is evidence that Zulfi Hoxha, the son of an Albanian-American pizza-shop owner from New Jersey, had sinister plans.

First there’s the defunct Twitter profile, which at one point engaged in a conversation with a State Department counter-propaganda account about the Islamic State. Then there’s the fact that he used the social-networking site Paltalk, a communications platform reportedly popular among Western jihadis. But none of it compares to the isis propaganda video that, according to multiple law-enforcement officials, shows Hoxha beheading captured Kurdish soldiers. If they are right about his identity, Hoxha is the first American Islamic State member known to be beheading individuals in such a video.

December 21, 2017

There was a terrorist attack today in Melbourne, a Muslim from Afghanistan ran down a bunch of people with a car for Baby Jesus Birthday.

Of course the authorities are talking up the man's "issues" as a deflection of the obvious. As if he is not he exact type of person ISIS and al-Qaeda target with their terrorist propaganda.

After all its harder than you think to talk people into doing Jihad through a glossy .pdf on the internet. So people with "issies" Muslims who aren't exactly the best and brightest are probably more likely to act. They can be manipulated.

The other type is the intelligent idealist... So Jihadis run the gambit. Their personal issues do not explain away Jihad.

Anyway here is a video from the incident.

Update: Well for some reason that video of he arrest went down the memory hole.
I'm sure they have a good reason for hiding it though.
Not really.

Anyway, new copy for as long as it lasts.

Update: A second terrorist was filming the attack, obviously to send off to Islamic State for a terrorist video.

December 11, 2017

Indeed a look at some of the popular channels frequented by ISIS suggests they are right: In one chat several ISIS members are seen bickering following Amaq’s hacking. “This channel is not official,” says one. Another replies, “How do you know it’s not official?” A third member interjects, “No, give your evidence.” Only for the first to respond, “You should be careful what you say to me.”

Ahmed points out that ISIS enforces stringent anti-discord rules on Telegram, as it does in the real world. Arguments, and the questioning of authority, will often see members banned.

“That discord, or fitna [the Quranic term used by ISIS] includes doubting any credible news outlet,” says Ahmed. He adds that, following Friday’s operation, “We made them break their own rules, we made them engage in debates regarding what was real, and what wasn’t.”

Nada concludes: “Journalists and analysts are not our target audience. Daesh supporters themselves, especially the Arabic speaking ones, are our target. Our main objective was to create confusion and discord, and we were able to do that. What Western analysts think is not really relevant to our work.

IS astonishing propaganda mechanism has remained regular operational in Telegram with daily dozens of mirror accounts to reliance to survive before shot down but their active Twitter and Facebook accounts has no longer been able to sustain more than one hour. IS dramatic vicious online operation has slowed down but they are still been able to wage online war to spread barbaric acts of violence, fear & terror across the globe. Extensive coverage of IS’ activities in mainstream global media also serve its objectives.

They are making their last stand on Telegram,which gives them some encryption, unless, you know. but also all the cats are herded to one platform.

The end is near, not only is ISIS losing the battle, the world is moving on. Though they still have a lot of support the days of an ever increasing popularity are over. Long term there will be low level Islamic insurgencies for some time.

In a way al-Qaeda and ISIS have become a victim of their own success, now they are passe' normal. People are used to the attacks. Its a fact of life.

But their goal of a global sixth century caliphate is now a pipe dream. They are now the Poodle Skirt of Islam.

October 20, 2017

Philippine security forces have arrested a 36-year-old Filipino woman suspected of recruiting, via social media, fighters from around the world for the ultra-radical Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Karen Aizha Hamidon was arrested in Taguig city, an hour east of the capital Manila, on Oct 11, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre announced at a news conference on Wednesday (Oct 18).

...According to a recent report by the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), Hamidon had been dismissed by many in ISIS-inspired chat groups as a spy.

IPAC said she started appearing on Indonesian Telegram groups in August 2015 and aggressively advertised her various accounts on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to ISIS sympathisers around the world.

One of the Telegram groups she took part in was BUG, or Baqiyah United Group, created by an Indonesian woman, Aisyah Lina, whose husband was later arrested for terrorism. Lina then added Hamidon and Sirajuddin.

Around October 2015, Sirajuddin began claiming that Hamidon’s groups had been infiltrated by Indian police, and that she herself was a spy. A month later, another message appeared in Indonesia posted from the Philippines accusing Hamidon of gathering information via her online groups which led to the arrest of several militants.

Hamidon was also accused of sowing discord among ISIS sympathisers by disparaging foreign extremists operating in the Philippines.

October 09, 2017

A US Department of Defense release on the battle for Hawijah cites "many sources reporting more than 1,000 terrorists surrendered."

Unlike the battle for Mosul, once ISIS' largest Iraqi stronghold, the terrorist group "put up no fight at all, other than planting bombs and booby traps," Kurdish officials told The New York Times.

Strikingly, the same officials reported that ISIS commanders had ordered their fighters to turn themselves in, on the grounds that the Kurds would take prisoners while other opponents would be harsher.

September 21, 2017

I've seen these videos, while they appear at first to be informational, they are really to provide a supporting platform for terrorists but without the al-Furqan watermark.
Pajamas:

Three senior leaders of one of Switzerland's most visible Islamic organizations were indicted today after a nearly two year investigation into videos that one of the leaders made in Syria, including interviews with senior al-Qaeda leaders.

The charges were announced today by the Office of the Attorney General, which will be heard by the Federal Criminal Court...

The OAG alleges that the accused offered the leading al-Qaeda member in question “a prominent multilingual multimedia platform from which to advantageously portray and promote both himself and the ideology of al-Qaeda, the terrorist organisation he represents”.

The OAG claims to have proof that this increased the appeal of al-Qaeda to existing and potential members around the world, thus promoting the organisation’s criminal activities.

Islamic State has claimed the attack, they say it was a direct order, but that's probably BS. It is definitely an attack in sympathy with ISIS but take all their claims with a grain of salt, no wait an entire *block of salt.

Update: Ongoing battles in Spain still this late. Live ammo, you can hear the bullets whizzing.

July 11, 2017

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Tahrir al-Sham Islamist alliance on Sunday said it had arrested top ISIS commander in northern Idlib province after a series of ISIS blasts that rocked the stronghold of former al Qaeda group, local reporter said.

Abu Sulaiman al-Russi, the ISIS security principal in Idlib, was arrested early Sunday as Tahrir al-Sham wages major campaign against ISIS sleeper cells that stand behind a series of explosions and suicide bombing that targeted rebel factions in Idlib.

Meanwhile, Tahrir al-Sham ordered the residents to stay at home as well to cooperate with the security office to to inform about ISIS suspects.

This week, nine militants with links to the Islamic State were arrested after a deadly suicide bombing struck a teaching institute for Holy Quran where 15 people killed including children in the western countryside.

Don't worry, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham are the kinder gentler terrorists, they at least sharpen the knife before they chop your head off.

June 28, 2017

In 2013, six Bosnian immigrants in the United States allegedly sent money, riflescopes, knives, military equipment, and other supplies to jihadists in Syria and Iraq through intermediaries in Bosnia and Turkey. According to the U.S. government’s allegations, individual ISIS fighters would make specific requests—mostly for money and military equipment—and the group would then raise funds and send supplies to Syria. The requests included what was surely an unexpected revelation of nostalgia—packets of Swiss Miss hot cocoa. By sending the cocoa mix and other supplies, federal prosecutors argue, these U.S.-based Bosnians provided what is known as “material support” to terrorists, in violation of the Patriot Act.

To uncover Abdullah Ramo Pazara’s story, we spent months tracking down the fragments of Pazara’s life from around the world—U.S. federal court documents in the Eastern District of Missouri, reports of military records from a Serbian nationalist paramilitary formation, truckers’ licenses from the state of Michigan, media accounts, Facebook posts from a villa in Azaz, Syria. Our reconstruction shows an upbringing shattered by civil war and violence in Bosnia, followed by a failed transition to civilian life in the United States. And then, Pazara found a network of like-minded individuals and friends—people who allegedly backed his growing fanaticism and then his ascent into the innermost circles of the Islamic State in Syria.

This is the story of Abdullah Ramo Pazara’s path to radicalization, and the six U.S.-based Bosnians charged with supporting his violent jihad.

June 05, 2017

One of the London attackers appeared in the Channel 4 documentary, "The Jihadist Next Door," according to the Daily Mail. The article included this image:

Although the Daily Mail blurred all pictures and avoided naming him, it did not take much to figure out who he was. I found another video of the same incident at Youtube. If you look at the picture above, you can see another jihadist recording as well. This video I found appears to be his. The man the Daily Mail claims is one of the attackers can be see arguing with police at the 5 second mark:

He is also seen in this related video and he is identified at the 20 second mark by name as Mohammed Shamsuddin:

A little Googling pulled up several articles about. It appears Mr. Shamsuddin lived off disability benefits in the UK and enjoyed beheading videos over lunch. What is most disturbing is that Shamsuddin was quite open with his extreme radical beliefs, but, apparently it was too politically incorrect to hold him accountable.

Over the next few days, the rest may or may not be identified. The UK government is trying to keep the names of these terrorists out of the media. And the media is complicit, as the Daily Mail, The Sun, and The Mirror have done several stories about at least this one attacker.

I may update as more information comes out, but for now, you can see what we are dealing with, not only with the jihadists, but also with the media and Western leadership.

Update by Howie 06/05/14 13:00 cdt: We do know he's in this video and is an associate of Abu Haleema (just google him he's a notorious jerk).

This is Mohammed Shamsuddin. Still no confirmation on his either way. But its is reported they UK is looking for more information. They would have plenty on Mohammed Shamsuddin though, he is a major figure in the documentary.

Neighbors say he was the attacker who wore the fake suicide vest during the vehicle and stabbing attack that killed seven people in London on Saturday night. The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency posted a message on Telegram on Sunday claiming that the attack was carried out by ISIS fighters.

The man was a member of Al Muhajiroun, a small group of men led by Anjem Choudary and Siddartha Dhar who openly preached for the need for Sharia law.

Two of three London attackers named by police as Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane, both from Barking pic.twitter.com/i1KAZpIUM2

June 04, 2017

The friend told the BBC’s Asian Network that the terrorist had been radicalised watching videos of the infamous American hate preacher Ahmad Musa Jibril.

He said: “We spoke about a particular attack that happened and like most radicals he had a justification for anything and everything and that day I realised I needed to contact the authorities.”

He added: “He used to listen to a lot of Musa Jibril. I have heard some of this stuff and its very radical. I am surprised this stuff is still on YouTube and is easily accessible. I phoned the anti-terror hotline. I spoke to the gentleman. I told him about our conversation and why I think he was radicalised.”

However, he said he was not arrested and was allowed to keep his passport. “I did my bit, I know a lot of other people did their bit, but the authorities did not do their bit,” the friend said.

We've all been doing our bit haven't we. We the People are not failing. We are giving our asses, nothing is done.

In April 2014, ICSR researchers found that 60 percent of foreign fighters in Syria followed Jibril on Twitter.* Jibril’s followers have primarily joined al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, but some have joined ISIS as well.* Jibril has been in direct contact with several foreign fighters and families of deceased fighters.* Jibril “bridges the gap” for Westerners who may not understand Arabic, according to Shiraz Maher, one of the study’s co-authors.* Jibril “provides the political and theological justification” and “comfort” to jihadists, according to ICSR director Peter Neumann.*

Jibril’s Twitter account, @ahmadmusajibril, has more than more than 33,000 followers. His Facebook page, under the name Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril, has more than 240,000 likes, although he has not updated it since July 2014. His YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/user/AhmadMusaJibril, has more than 9,500 subscribers. Jibril also maintains a blog at https://ahmadjibrilblog.wordpress.com/. Jibril previously ran a now defunct Islamist website, AlSalafyoon.com, which included “fanatically anti-American sermons by militant Islamic clerics,” according to U.S. authorities.* A group of Jibril’s followers created the website www.ahmadjibril.com/, which hosts lectures and articles by Jibril and his students.

May 31, 2017

Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State militants executed on Wednesday nine of their senior comrades West of Mosul on the backdrop of defeats to Iraqi government troops and allied militias, an army officer has said.

Cap. Moataz al-Hamadani told BasNews that the nine leaders, of Arab and Western nationalities, were executed at the center of Tal Afar town, a major Islamic State bastion west of Mosul and near the borders with Syria (70 Km west of Mosul).

Hamadani quoted residents from Tal Afar saying that the executions came amid growing divisions and infighting among the group’s members which followed consecutive defeats to Iraqi security forces. He did not give details of the method of execution.

May 15, 2017

Once they left the city, the U.S. systematically targeted the fighters within their rules of engagement. “I think SDF let them have safe passage out of Tabqa, but once they continued on the battlefield, I don’t know if that’s something we’re required to honor,” Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told TheWSJ.

In an interview with the FBI in January regarding his alleged break-in to the Turkish embassy, Alebbini admitted to posting pro-ISIS videos on his social media page, and claimed he was the “perfect recruiter for ISIS,” but said he did not agree with their violence.

According to the complaint, Alebbini said the security at the Embassy was very lax and that “If I had a bomb on me, I swear to God, three embassies would have gone down.”

May 12, 2017

Defense officials described ISIS’s surrender as “unconditional,” saying the group agreed to remove explosives from around a dam and leave its heavy weapons behind as its fighters left the city of Tabqa.

The sudden collapse of ISIS’s grip on the Syrian city of Tabqa and the dam supporting it was the result of a negotiated settlement between US-backed forces and the militant group, two US defense officials told BuzzFeed News.

A third defense official said the withdrawal of roughly 70 ISIS fighters was “unconditional.” ISIS agreed to remove explosives from around the dam and leave its heavy weapons behind, a US official explained. Tabqa sits just west of ISIS’s self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, and has served as an entry point for the capital. Its collapse Wednesday could mark the last major step before the long-anticipated battle for the city, US military officials have said.